Shloka 20
द्रौपदी-शैब्यसंवादः — Draupadī’s Identification and Counsel on Hospitality
तस्मात् प्रायमुपासिष्ये न हि शक्ष्यामि जीवितुम् | चेतयानो हि को जीवेत् कृच्छाच्छत्रुभिरुद्धृत:,इसलिये मैं (अवश्य) आमरण उपवास करूँगा। अब जीवित नहीं रह सकूँगा। जिसका शत्रुओंने संकटसे उद्धार किया हो, ऐसा कौन विचारशील पुरुष जीवित रहना चाहेगा?
tasmāt prāyam upāsiṣye na hi śakṣyāmi jīvitum | cetayāno hi ko jīvet kṛcchāc chatrubhir uddhṛtaḥ ||
সেয়ে মই প্ৰায়োপৱেশ (আমৰণ উপবাস) গ্ৰহণ কৰিম; এতিয়া মই আৰু জীয়াই থাকিব নোৱাৰোঁ। শত্রুৱে যদি সংকটৰ পৰা উদ্ধাৰ কৰে, তেন্তে আত্মসচেতন কোন পুৰুষে জীয়াই থাকিবলৈ ইচ্ছা কৰিব?
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse dramatizes how unchecked pride and obsession with honor can distort ethical judgment: Duryodhana treats survival—especially survival enabled by rivals—as unbearable humiliation, preferring self-destruction over reflective endurance.
Duryodhana, overwhelmed by disgrace at having been saved from danger by those he considers enemies, declares he will undertake prāya—fasting unto death—arguing that no self-aware man would wish to live under such a perceived dishonor.